Dumfries’ DuPont Teijin Films is set to have new Thailand-based owners.

The workforce at the manufacturing plant has been told that their jobs will be safeguarded in the buy-out by one of the world’s leading petrochemical companies, Indorama Ventures.

Unite union official Andy Macfarlane is due to have a meeting with members at DuPont this week and is seeking talks with management.

He said: “As we have only recently been made aware of the acquisition we don’t know the specific details. The devil’s going to be in those details.

“I am keen to meet with management from the company to clarify any implications there may be for the workforce who are all Unite members, highly skilled and highly specialised at what they do.”

He added: “We have pre-planned meetings with reps this week and with management at the start of November and now the acquisition will take priority.”

The Bangkok-based company said it has “entered into an agreement” to buy the specialist film products company whose Dumfries manufacturing plant is at Drungans.

The acquisition, which is now subject to regulatory approvals, includes production sites in the US, Europe, China, and two in the UK of which Dumfries is one. It is expected to be completed later this year or early in 2018.

It affects 1,100 DuPont employees in 10 countries including the 320 people who work at the UK’s Dumfries and Wilton sites.

He said: “Indorama Ventures has made this acquisition as we see synergies with our business. Therefore, we will be keeping all the employees in Dumfries to help contribute to the future growth of our company.”

DuPont Teijin Films is the world’s premier producer of BOPET and PEN polyester high film and has attracted Indorama Ventures because of its “market leadership and product innovation” and that it is “constantly inventing and developing new uses for their products”.

Rapid expansion of the global BOPET film industry and an expected increase in future sales were also an attraction for Indorama Ventures which has a global manufacturing footprint across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, and its headquarters in Bangkok.

Willem Buitelaar, DuPont’s corporate communications leader, said: “As part of the transaction all DTF employees will be offered continued employment.

“DuPont believes this transaction can offer a greater opportunity for growth in the competitive polyester films industry.”